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THE GARDEN SAGEA library of living things
Trees & woodland lore · Western North Carolina field companion

Cucumbertree magnolia

Magnolia acuminata

Leaves. Taxon reference; photograph alone does not establish a named cultivar.
Leaves. Taxon reference; photograph alone does not establish a named cultivar.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeLiné1 ↗ · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; no diagnostic content altered.

Large native magnolia for parks and expansive landscapes; not a small-yard ornamental.

Sun Exposure
Full sun–part shade
MATURE HEIGHT (FT)
50–80
MATURE WIDTH (FT)
30–50
BLOOM SEASON
Late spring
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Get to know this plant.

Identification clue 1

Large smooth-edged deciduous leaves

Identification clue 2

Yellow-green flowers

Identification clue 3

Young fruits resemble small cucumbers

Read the leaves

Large simple leaves taper to a point; they have no lobes and feel less leathery than evergreen magnolia leaves.

More growing details

Read the bark

Older trunks develop gray-brown ridges and furrows.

Fruit & seed

Green cucumber-like aggregates become red as they mature, revealing red seeds.

Winter character

Large terminal buds and ring-like stipule scars on twigs support magnolia identification.

Origin & place

The species occurs naturally in the southern Appalachian region; a planted specimen is not evidence of wild local origin.

Compare with Pawpaw

Pawpaw leaves often broaden toward the tip and accompany smooth bark and fleshy clustered fruits.

WNC Notes

Large native magnolia for parks and expansive landscapes; not a small-yard ornamental.

Sun Exposure

Full sun–part shade

MATURE HEIGHT (FT)

50–80

MATURE WIDTH (FT)

30–50

BLOOM SEASON

Late spring

BLOOM COLOR

Greenish yellow

FALL / WINTER COLOR

Yellow

Wet-Soil Tolerance

Moderate

Drought Tolerance

Moderate

LOOK CLOSELY

Two views, a closer look.

Place two photographs beside one another. Compare the overall plant with leaves, flowers, or bark when those views are available. Captions identify what each photograph actually shows. Images are not at the same scale; species references may show different cultivars.

Leaves. Taxon reference; photograph alone does not establish a named cultivar.
Leaves. Taxon reference; photograph alone does not establish a named cultivar.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeLiné1 ↗ · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; no diagnostic content altered.
Fruits forming — species reference; cultivar identity not inferred.
Fruits forming — species reference; cultivar identity not inferred.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadePlant Image Library ↗ · CC-BY-SA 2.0
Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; full original composition retained.

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